The Machine Learning and Computer Vision (MLCV) Laboratory is one of the research laboratories at the Faculty of Computer Science, Universitas Indonesia (Fasilkom UI), with a long history in the development of computer science, particularly in image processing, computer vision, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
The history of the laboratory is closely connected to the early development of computer science at Universitas Indonesia. In 1974, when the Computer Science Center of Universitas Indonesia (Pusilkom UI) was still in its formative years, computer science was a relatively new field in Indonesia. At that time, there were not yet academic staff formally trained in computer science. The director of Pusilkom during that period was the late Dr. Indro S. Suwandi, who later became recognized as one of the founders of Fasilkom UI.
In the early years, academic staff members were sent abroad to pursue master’s and doctoral studies because computer science programs were not yet available in Indonesia. The Computer Science Study Program at Universitas Indonesia was officially established in 1986 for undergraduate education (Bachelor’s degree). As the need for education and research continued to grow, Fasilkom UI officially became an independent faculty in 1993, with Prof. Bagyo Y. Moeliodihardjo serving as its first dean. The master’s program (S2) was opened in 1994, followed by the doctoral program (S3) in 1999.
Amidst this growth, the MLCV Laboratory was first established in 1994 under the name Pattern Recognition and Image Processing Laboratory. When it was first established, the laboratory was led by Prof. Aniati Murni as its first head. At that time, the laboratory primarily focused on research in pattern recognition and digital image processing, which later became important foundations for the development of modern computer vision technologies.
As science and technology rapidly evolved, the laboratory’s research scope also expanded significantly. In 2015, under the leadership of the late Dr. Ivan Fanany, the laboratory was officially renamed the Machine Learning and Computer Vision (MLCV) Laboratory. The new name reflected the laboratory’s broader research direction, encompassing machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, and the integration of artificial intelligence into various application domains.
Following the passing of Dr. Ivan Fanany, the laboratory leadership continued its commitment to sustaining research and academic development. In 2021, the laboratory leadership was briefly continued by Prof. Aniati Murni before, in 2023, being entrusted to Dr. Erdefi Rakun. Under the current leadership, the laboratory continues to expand into emerging research areas, including sign language and body movement analysis for the deaf community, multimodal research combining image and text data through Natural Language Processing (NLP), and the exploration of rapidly advancing generative AI technologies.
Today, the MLCV Laboratory hosts an active academic and research community with diverse research interests. With its long-standing history and continuously evolving research initiatives, the MLCV Laboratory at Fasilkom UI remains committed to becoming a leading center for research and innovation in artificial intelligence and computer vision at both national and international levels.